1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a new and improved apparatus for freezing and collecting ice, and more particularly, to a new and improved ice manufacturing apparatus which facilitates the formation of ice by spraying a stream of water on the bottom of an ice grid positioned adjacent to and beneath an evaporator coil. The apparatus utilizes a condensor and compresser system in combination with a receiver tank and evaporator, and a water system which includes spray nozzles for impinging water on the ice grid as the grid is located in proximity to the evaporator during the freezing cycle. The system refrigerant is recycled in such a manner as to permit warm refrigerant to flow from the receiver tank through a solenoid valve to the evaporator at a predetermined time in order to loosen the ice grid from its position adjacent to the evaporator and permit the ice to be collected during the apparatus harvesting cycle. Orchestration of advancement of the ice grid with the flow of the warm refrigerant from the receiver tank to the evaporator during the harvesting cycle is achieved by means of a timing device and solenoid valve combination.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore various systems for producing ice by automatic means have been utilized. Typical of such automatic ice producing apparatus known in the prior art is that described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,432,597 to H. A. Toulmin, Jr., which device utilizes a compartmented rubber belt which moves through a freezing chamber after collecting water in the compartments, and facilitates harvesting of the ice by means of a hopper located at one end of the machine. It is significant that the compartments in the rubber belt are filled with water from a downwardly projecting filling tube located above the belt prior to entry of the belt into the freezing chamber. A similar contact freezing apparatus is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,618,334 to Hans Gram Vojens, which device uses elongated freezing elements arranged side by side in the form of an endless band with the freezing medium circulated through each freezing element to produce ice. Another prior art device is the continuous belt freezer with removable compartments described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,719,055 to Gail C. Shapley, et al. This belt freezer includes a flat, continuous belt and one or more flat grid units of selected length and breadth, which are placed on the belt to form pockets for water or other product to be jelled prior to freezing. The individually frozen product units formed in the grid are separated from the belt and grid as the belt moves downwardly and the grid continues forwardly from the discharge end of the freezer.
It is noted that in most of the prior art ice producing apparatus utilizing endless belts, the water or other product medium is introduced into the belt or grid arrangement at the top of the belt. The belt then moves through a freezing unit or compartment or is otherwise subjected to close association with a refrigerant, and the ice is harvested in the final cycle after freezing occurs. Many of these devices are characterized as "tunnel" type freezers, and some have been in use for many years.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an automatic ice cube apparatus which may be generally described as a contact freezing apparatus and which is characterized by a great efficiency, uniformity and rapidity of ice formation, and high reliability.
Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved ice manufacturing apparatus which utilizes a continuous belt grid with the freezing medium sprayed on the underside of the grid as the belt is subjected to a freezing cycle while in position adjacent to and beneath an evaporator coil.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved contact freezing apparatus which is characterized by a compresser, a condensor coil, a receiver tank, a solenoid valve, an evaporator coil, and a water supply and spray means for spraying water on the endless belt while the belt is adjacent the evaporator during the freezing cycle, and which causes ice to loosen and the belt to move by flowing warm refrigerant from the receiver into the evaporator at a predetermined time during the ice harvesting cycle.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved automatic ice producing apparatus which includes a flooded system characterized by a liquid line having a solenoid valve therein for intermittantly interrupting the flow of refrigerant to segregate the freezing cycle from the harvesting cycle.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide an ice cube manufacturing apparatus which utilizes a receiver for collecting warm refrigerant and a solenoid valve and timing device to cause the warm refrigerant to flow from the receiver into an evaporator to harvest ice cubes formed from the spraying of water onto an area of an endless belt grid positioned adjacent and beneath the evaporator.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved ice producing apparatus which is characterized by an endless belt grid having discrete compartments and having a segment always positioned beneath and adjacent an evaporator coil to facilitate freezing of water sprayed upwardly against the grid during the freezing cycle and harvesting of the ice responsive to flow of warm refrigerant into the evaporator from a receiver during the harvesting cycle.